República® gives supermarket brands a roasting

Where brands are finding supermarket shelf space diminishing to make way for home brand products, one company is bucking the trend. Organic, Fairtrade and Carbon Neutral coffee company, República, was named in the Smart Company Smart50 Awards

República® is the first food brand in Australia to be certified Carbon Neutral by the Australian Government. República® has the largest range of ethically certified coffee in Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. Its range includes instant, ground, beans and drinking chocolate.

In a time where local and international brands are finding supermarket sales and shelf space diminishing to make way for home brand products, República® is bucking the trend.

Founder Jacqueline Arias, a former ABC journalist, says her success is the result of 5 years’ hard work and dedication in her support of Fairtrade and Third World coffee farmers. The brand’s success is testament to the fact consumers are more aware of, and supporting of, sustainable and ethical products, and are making their choice at their local supermarket’s checkout.

Republica is also experiencing growth outside of grocery, it’s products are in demand by companies who are increasingly judged by their social and economic sustainable practices, and are looking at ways to satisfy customer demands around ethical values, Jetstar and Virgin both serve República® coffee on their flights, domestically and internationally.

Ms Arias is proud of her achievements and is ready to make the most of the opportunity on her doorstep. She is now looking to recruit top staff and potential partners in a bid to continue meeting consumer demand for Fair Trade products.

“Hopefully, in 5 years’ time people will walk down the aisle at their favourite supermarket and 5 products in their trolley will be a Fairtrade product. “That's an achievement,” she said.

Born in Medellin, Colombia, an area renowned for producing some the world’s finest coffee, Jacqueline arrived in Australia as a young child in the mid seventies.

Jacqueline is married, with two children and is a former journalist. She worked for the ABC for 10 years, winning a number of accolades for her documentaries, including a UN Peace Media Award.

Jacqueline was inspired to think about starting a business with coffee during a trip to her homeland, Colombia. Jacqueline discovered that coffee farmers from Third World countries were being exploited. She was also alarmed that the majority of people in Colombia drink instant coffee manufactured in First World countries, and sold to local at at highly inflated prices. She felt this was a great injustice, as the coffee beans were actually grown in Colombia.

This inspired her to create an ethical yet profitable business where coffee farmers in Third World countries are paid a fair price for their product.

Jacqueline travelled to Britain to see the concept in action. She was amazed at the large number of Fairtrade products available – not only coffee, but sugar, bananas and cereal. She was convinced Australians would respond in a similar positive fashion to Fairtrade items and brands.

So she quit her job at the ABC and in 2007 República® Coffee was born.Jacqueline worked with an international barista judge and speciality coffee expert, Emily Oak, for more than a year. Together, they sourced Fairtrade beans and created a profile for three premium organic coffees blends, República® Signature Blend and Organic Frida, and a single origin Organic Timor.

Her long-term vision is to build the most ethical food brand in Australian.

About República® Coffee

República® is Australia's only 100 per cent Organic Fairtrade and Carbon Neutral certified coffee company. This means the company pays a fair price to the Third World farmers who grow its coffee and cocoa beans, enabling them to afford basics like education and health care.

República® is the first food brand in Australia to be certified Carbon Neutral by the Australian Government.